20 Not So Random Facts About Asteria Greengrass
by BirdG
Summary: Written for the Random Facts Facts, twenty not-so-random facts about Asteria Greengrass. Draco/Asteria and Asteria/OMC.


_**Author's Notes: **This was written for the fourth installment of the Random Facts Fest on Insanejournal. Everything belongs to JKR, as always._

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1.) Asteria Domnina Greengrass was Linus and Hélène's final attempt at having a son. Two miscarriages and three daughters were all they had for years of trying. Her father never quite got over his disappointment.

2.) Because her dad loved Quidditch, so did Asteria. Happy to have another fan in the family, her dad took her to every opening game for the Wimbourne Wasps – his favorite team. Asteria never had the heart to tell him she'd rather cheer for the Cannons.

3.) The earliest vivid memory Asteria has of Draco Malfoy is of an argument they had at Daphne's twelfth birthday party. Growing more and more annoyed with his mocking of the Cannons, she finally mustered up enough pluck to tell him off, even slamming her hand down on the table at the end of her impassioned defense of her favorite team. Or she meant to, instead she slammed it down into a piece of cake. Asteria remembers running from the table, face burning and Draco's laughter echoing in her ears.

4.) Slytherin wasn't her first choice. Soon after she and Daphne boarded the Hogwarts Express, her sister ditched Asteria to sit with Pansy and Tracey. To spite her, Asteria had intended to ask the hat to put her in Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat very nearly did, telling her she had a "good mind" but her fear at being alone in an unfamiliar place got the best of her. She was sorted into Slytherin and she never regretted that.

5.) During her third year, Asteria got into a fight with Romilda Vane. They were supposed to be working on a Potions project but Romilda spent the bulk of the time singing Harry Potter's praises. Wanting to set her straight, Asteria told the Gryffindor that Potter was insane and that his little "army" was a waste of time. Romilda responded to this by throwing a cup of chopped worms at her.

It was Draco who broke up the fight. Showing off his Inquisitorial Squad badge, he docked Romilda house points for fighting with a pureblood. Relieved and embarrassed, Asteria showed her gratitude by telling him he had puffer-fish eyes in his hair.

6.) People (mostly family) told her she was "lovely" but it was a long time before she believed them. She had nice eyes, the same warm blue-green as her dad's. That was about it. Her hair was a dull black, prone to flyaways and it made her pale skin look deathly white. Asteria was tall, too, towering over everyone in her year - boys included. Worst of all, she was flat as a board. She had always envied her mother and sisters, always perfectly dressed without a single golden blonde hair out of place.

Her one solace in all this was that Daphne was still just as flat as her.

7.) It was in her fourth year that she had her first real boyfriend. His name Claude Vaisey, and was a fifth-year and a Chaser for Slytherin. As arrogant as he was good-looking, all the girls Asteria knew had a crush on him. Including herself. So touched and, honestly, _grateful_ that he wanted her, she put up with a lot. More than she should have, in retrospect.

Eventually, he asked for too much and she broke it off with him.

8.) A month after that, Herbie Burke escorted Asteria to her Débutante Ball. Only the most respectable wizarding families were invited and of that small pool of potential dates, Asteria chose Herbie. Pudgy and shorter than her, he looked at her like she was a goddess.

When Asteria kept seeing him afterwards, she told people it was because he was so kind to her. Really, she just enjoyed having the upper-hand in their relationship.

9.) Muggles are inferior to wizards. This is as much a simple fact to Asteria as the Earth revolving around the Sun. Compare the life of the poorest wizard to that of the poorest Muggle and it's easy to see which is preferable. And she's heard about how they transplant organs between Muggles and clone sheep, it's not hard to imagine them stealing magic like the Ministry says. She almost wouldn't blame them for it.

10.) Asteria thought about joining Dumbledore's Army. The coming war made her feel helpless and frustrated that she wasn't learning anything useful in her Dark Arts class. Time that could have been better spent teaching them how to repel curses was spent on propaganda and torture. She tries to convince Daphne to join with her, promising that they wouldn't have to commit to anything or even fight at all! It was just to give them options, a way to defend themselves if need be.

Daphne won't hear of it and Asteria is too scared to go alone.

11.) Instead of joining the D.A., Asteria helps Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing. It began when Professor Carrow ordered her to bring Gryffindor third-year to the hospital wing. A double period spent as target practice had left the younger student unconscious and battered. Upon her arrival, Asteria found Pomfrey torn between several patients, including one who had been the victim of an unsuccessful Entrail-Expelling Curse.

So she stayed behind to help. Eventually, Asteria takes to carrying around a first-aid kit of dittanies and bandages. Just in case.

12.) When Slughorn comes to Hogsmeade, asking Slytherins to return and fight for their school, not many join him. Her father and sisters are among the few that do. Hélène insists that her youngest stay behind with her and her dad agrees. Asteria tries to argue but when her mother starts crying, she feels too guilty to continue.

She still resents them for that.

13.) Asteria doesn't let anything stop her from helping Pomfrey and the others with the wounded. When they were ordered out of the dungeons, the only thing she brought with her was her first aid bag. It's running from person to person in the Great Hall, that she runs right into (literally) a dazed Draco Malfoy. She doesn't even realize who it is at first, only seeing the crooked tilt of his nose and the blood dripping from down to his shirt. Without warning, Asteria grabs his chin, mutters a quick _Episkey_ and follows it with a simple cleaning charm for the blood. When she's certain he doesn't need any more help, she leaves to help more people.

14.) That next year, Asteria starts seeing Dennis Creevey. Her parents love him, happy that in this new world order, all their daughters are involved with those who had fought on the "right" side. Asteria just loves that he needs her.

15.) The fact that Asteria is a rather poor Quidditch player doesn't stop her from trying out for the House team nor from being accepted. Only two seventh-year Slytherins had returned – Daphne and Millicent Bulstrode. More demoralizing, that first year after the war, no students were sorted in Slytherin. The second year, only two were.

"Beggars can't be choosers," was Bulstrode's way of telling her she's Slytherin's newest Seeker.

16.) During her seventh year, Draco starts showing up at Slytherin's matches. He spends most of his time during the match yelling out instructions and suggestions. And heckling Asteria every time she fails to catch the Snitch. (A fairly regular occurrence.)

What she'll never admit to him is that some of his suggestions – like distracting the opposing Seeker, even if it meant insulting them – actually helped.

17.) After Hogwarts, Asteria became a Healer for St. Mungo's. Her pet project while there involved helping victims of the war recover with the use of a Muggle science known as "sykitwary". She spends her first year there trying to persuade her bosses till they finally caved and hired an Mental Health Healer from California.

While the whole thing is regarded as a success, Asteria was always disappointed that they couldn't do more for the Longbottoms. Years of trying and all they had to show for it were Alice's crudely-drawn pictures of a stick-figure family.

18.) At the wedding reception for her eldest sister and her new husband, Asteria spotted Draco sitting alone at the bar. Most of the guests had left by then, save for the wedding party.

Those that had stayed were sitting together on the other side of the room. It doesn't take her long to decide she'd rather sit with Draco than hear Daphne complain again about the bridesmaids' dresses they had to wear.

When he decides to leave, she joins him.

19.) Asteria quickly realizes that she doesn't have the upper-hand in this relationship and she's not sure if Draco needs her more than she needs him. The only thing that prevents her from going into a blind panic is knowing Draco has the same fears and doubts.

Not that he ever says this.

20.) "Scorpius" was actually her idea. ("Hyperion" was Draco's.)


End file.
